Liverpool runners top CNS again

Not even 72 hours after meeting at Long Branch Park, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse cross country teams engaged in a rematch.

The setting was Jamesville Beach State Park, site of the Nov. 7 Section III championship meet. Saturday’s Chittenango Invitational was a warm-up act for that sectional meet, with 60 teams and more than 2,000 runners on hand.

And here, just as in their head-to-head meeting, the Warriors would prevail on both sides, with the Northstars second.

In the boys Division I meet, Liverpool had 32 points to CNS’s 52 as they went 1-2 in a 14-team Division I field.

Colin Savage and Chris Buchanan dueled for individual honors, and the Liverpool senior prevailed, his time of 15 minutes, 53.3 seconds enough to beat Buchanan (16:00.6) by 7.3 seconds.

In all, the Warriors claimed four of the top eight individual spots. Alex Wilke ran to fourth place, in 16:15.2, while Nick Hull took seventh place (16:27.4) and Chris Clemons got eighth place (16:34.9) before the second CNS runner crossed the line. Brandon Rudd, in 15th place (17:08.3), rounded out Liverpool’s scoring.

The girls Division I race at Jamesville Beach had the exact same result on the team side, with Liverpool claiming first place with 35 points and CNS second with 52 points, both of them well ahead of the rest of the field.

As she had done at Long Branch, CNS freshman Nicole Watterud earned the individual title, needing 18 minutes, 49 seconds to cover the 3.1-mile course as Liverpool’s Lesley Bowers slid into second place (19:11.9) for the Warriors.

But after the Northstars’ Marissa Colburn claimed fourth place (19:55.8), Liverpool had the next five finishers. Trina Bills, in sixth place (20:25.3), began the rush as Rachel Putman took eighth place (20:36.0), followed by Melissa Riehl (20:39.8), Connie Torres (20:40.6) and Chelsea Attaway (20:40.8) in the next three spots.

For CNS, Mackenzie Cummings finished in 14th place (20:59.1), just ahead of Dana Rinaldi (21:03.7) in 15th place. Jamie Leone ran to 18th place, in 21:05.9, and Katie Laris was 24th in 21:34.5.